Thanksgiving.

Read this on a blog..."But despite today’s legally mandated annual day of Thanksgiving, genuine thankfulness, though rare, should be much more than a once-a year-event with a web of dubious traditions."

What did this day mean to you this year?

April Fools?

Captured this picture on Kelowna's busiest road yesterday!

Detours

Arriving at becoming a mommy took me some time...like about six years of work! I assumed that being a SAHM (stay at home mom) would be my calling. I would have bet a lot of cash on that.

It's been over a year that I've had the desire to go back to work. I've tried to dismiss the feeling, hoping once I settled into being a SAHM the feeling would pass. Not so.

For the pass month I've been looking for work. My cover letter now includes an explanation why I went MIA for two years: I have been out of the workforce for two years raising my little boys. I am now prepared and committed to return to work. Sounds good, right?

It's not the best time to look for work when the word recession is running rapid across the world. However even the process of tweaking my cv, searching the web for jobs and having interviews feels good.

Mama Salma Knows Breast

Actress and humanitarian Salma Hayek recently spent time in
Sierra Leone, Africa on a UNICEF mission to raise awareness for tetanus.

*One child dies every three minutes from Tetanus, a preventable disease.*

At a clinic, Salma Hayek was so moved at seeing the suffering of a starving baby who was born on the same day as her little girl, Valentina, that she picked up the baby and nursed him. Her action stunned, inspired and scandalized the world. Go to YouTube to see her nurse this sweet baby.

What are your reactions to this story? Would you have nursed the baby?

I know I would have. Not only because of the circumstances but because the thing I loved most about being blessed to conceive was the ability to nurse. I loved it and miss it!

Sleep Deprivation as a Mommy

On Monday we enjoyed a play date at Jordan and Tabatha's house. Delphine is their mommy. She is hot, oops, I mean she is pretty.

Delphine tiredly said to me, "I'm getting about 4 to 6 hours of sleep night. I am amazed I can still function."

Just recently Delphine emailed me a picture she had taken when she came for a play date at our place back in May 2007. I treasure this picture. It captures my happiness and yet brings back the feeling of that mommy tiredness I felt.
This mommy tiredness is not the same as when you stayed up too late hanging out with friends or working late at work. It's five times worse. This sort of tiredness would make a grown man cry and I think it may have made me cry once or twice.

Having the mommy sleep deprivation syndrome (I made that up!) does eventually pass. But not without some drama like feeling inadequate, guilty and lazy:

• my grand-ma had 16 kids surely I can't be this tired with having only two kids (but I was)
• I can't pay a sitter to watch my kids so I can go attend a yoga class (but I do)
• I feel so weak for needing a break (now I feel stronger for getting a break)

Sleep is a beautiful thing. Off I go to enjoy it.

Extreme Parents...

The baby father... Alfie Patten with little Maisie. Alfie who looks like he's 8 is really 13. It's against the law for him to smoke but he can produce a child. Innocence is bliss! When I heard about the octuplet's joining their six siblings I said, "That's just sinful." I wonder if Alfie and his 15 year old girlfriend will want that many....

Seasonal Shift

Autumn has crept in, leaving summer in the dust.
The night crawls into day earlier and I hide the beach towels with hesitation - not totally ready to let go.
Luckily the world was designed to turn summer into autumn s l o w l y.
It would be dreadfully hard to fall into fall overnight! Don't you think?












The kokanee salmon at our city creek is the pivotal sign that the season has shifted. James joined his preschool on the Kokanee Field Trip.
All he wanted wanted to know was where the sharks where hiding!













Kid Rock says it the best in his song All Summer Long, " ...nothing seems as strange as when the leaves begin to change..."

Thoughts about my career as a Mommy

Mother's Day for me is like Valentine's Day when I was single. When you're single you dread the arrival of February 14 because someone will eventually ask you, "So what are you doing for Valentine's Day?" This is after they have told you about the dozen red roses they received from their Valentine. I remember one single friend who purposely took V day off to go skiing up in the mountains just so she didn't have to hear all the love talk around the office! Smart girl! (She is now tying the knot this summer!) When Mr. Perfect came into my life (aka: Michael) Valentine's Day wasn't a big deal (okay, he still must get me a gift!). The best way I can describe this, is when I'm at peace with something I no longer worry about it. I'm sure this is the same for most humans out there!

So prior to being a mommy I would say to Michael on M day, "Next year, I'll celebrate Mother's Day." or "Another Mother's day gone by and still I'm not a mom." I said that line for quite a few years with a hint of pitty too! Then last year Mother's Day arrived with me not even realizing it was Mother's Day till the last minute! I was a NEW MOMMY who didn't have time to sleep let alone look at the calendar and I was at peace!

This year, thanks for being less sleep deprived I had the time to think about my new job (15 months and counting) as "Mommy". The thing that has struck me the most, like in most jobs, is how much I didn't know. So here, in random order, is a list of things I didn't know about the career of motherhood:

I didn't know that....

• I'd use my shirts as Kleenxes
• my jeans would get holes in the knee areas
• naps are so sacred...sorry to the moms out there for the times I woke up your sleeping baby!
• I'd be so happy to see my hubby come home so I can go to the washroom privately
• I would actually speed home to get out of the car a crying, hyperventilating, out of control baby (or so I think!). He probably was just whining!
• going to get groceries at 8 o'clock at night alone would be something I'd call a nice break!
  
• I could go without brushing my teeth till noon...still sounds stupid to me...it takes two minutes to brush teeth...but somehow these two little fellas suck up a lot of my time!
• I would let my baby take his naps in his car seat (he doesn't anymore so it's save for me to now share!@#)
• I'd be washing clothes and cleaning the floor 742 times a day
• I'd have days where I'd rather be back at work in a cubicle with no windows, no air conditioning (so hot!), scheduled breaks (nice!) then being at home with the two munchkins who don't allow me to go to the washroom privately (did I say that already!)
• I could function under less than 6 hours of sleep for weeks on end and still be somewhat normal...
  
• I'd be so darn proud of my sons...like so proud that that's all I want to talk about (yes, I'm one of those moms!)
  
• I'd have to be so careful in my choice of words...do I really say, "eh?" instead of saying "Pardon me?"!!!!
  
• that I would miss nursing as much as I do
• wearing jewelery is really stupid to wear when you have little ones, but I still do it.
  
• as soon I would talk of the phone they would go ape
• the 'baby breath' would disappear so soon
  
• I'd have to say things 294 times before they decide to no longer ignore me
• being the ultimate mom means learning to be happy in chaos...you know when they have a meltdown in public and you just want to disappear in the background!
  

This list, obviously could go on but I got to get some scared sleep. To all you mommies out there (the veterans, the intermediates and the new ones) let me know what are some of your, "I didn't know..." moments.

Peace, love and joy to all of you wanna-be moms (been there), and moms!

Joanne (aka: Mommy)

• Parker, get you butt down!
  
• I mean it!
  
• One more time and your getting out!
  
• Do you want to get hurt!
  
• ...blah! blah! blah!
  

Summary of the month of April

Parker had his doctors appointment for his club foot at the Vancouver Children's Hospital this month. All is good: he must keep wearing his runners during the day and boots and bars at night. Consistency shall pay off!

While in Vancouver we took the boys to the Aquarium to show them (and teach us!) about the wonders under the sea.
Of course we stopped at IKEA 'cause us folks in the Okanagan just don't have the luxury of having this awesome store (as well as an OLD NAVY - I just had to whine about that!). So here is James showing us that these shelves can hold 40lbs and Parker eager to join him!

The NHL playoffs are never ending and Michael has gotten his little Parker
fascinated by men on skates chasing a black toy!

A celebration of a dear friend who turned thirty something was celebrated with martinis! Who knew martinis had fun names like: Bond Girl, Diva, Red Shoe, etc.!


The last Friday of April was James and Parker's first play date with 7 of their little friends and their mommies! Considering the potential for chaos the morning play time was fun. Have food, juice boxes, toys and a toilet near by and your set! Perhaps this might be a monthly event!


May the month of May bring all of us sunshine and butterfly kisses!